Located on Jambiani beach along Zanzibar’s east coast, Drifting Cloud is a kinetic installation by Vincent Leroy that interacts directly with the wind. The sculptural work is constructed from carbon rods, 3D printed joints, and kite-canvas discs, forming a lightweight structure capable of responding to subtle air currents.

The installation’s modular components move independently while remaining part of a connected whole, generating a dynamic, constantly changing composition. Movements vary according to wind strength, ranging from fine vibrations to broader gestures, producing an organized yet unpredictable rhythm.

all images courtesy of Vincent Leroy

Vincent Leroy integrates coastal context into kinetic artwork

Positioned above the shoreline and amid the seaweed farms, the installation by Paris-based artist Vincent Leroy integrates with its environment without interfering with local activity. Its floating arrangement translates wind into visible motion, offering a spatial and temporal reading of environmental forces. Drifting Cloud demonstrates the interplay between lightweight materials, modular construction, and environmental responsiveness in a coastal context.

Drifting Cloud is a kinetic installation on Jambiani beach, Zanzibar

the work responds directly to the coastal winds

modular components move independently yet remain connected

carbon rods, 3D printed joints, and kite-canvas discs form its lightweight structure

movements shift dynamically with the wind’s strength

each element contributes to an organized yet unpredictable rhythm

Drifting Cloud’s kinetic rhythm mirrors the movement of the shoreline and wind

project info:

name: Drifting Cloud

designer: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio

location: Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Installed above the Caen peninsula in Normandy, Molecular Cloud is a suspended kinetic sculpture composed of mirrored stainless-steel spheres arranged in a cloud-like formation. Designed by French artist Vincent Leroy for the Millennium of the city of Caen, the project introduces a reflective structure that interacts directly with its urban and atmospheric surroundings.

Positioned between the city’s new peninsula district and the historic Abbaye aux Dames, the installation establishes a visual link between the area’s historical and contemporary layers. The spheres form a constellation-like cluster that reflects the city, sky, and movement of passers-by, generating continuously shifting visual conditions. As viewers move beneath the suspended elements, the mirrored surfaces multiply and distort their surroundings, producing a perceptual field that changes with angle, distance, and light.

all images courtesy of Vincent Leroy

light reflects upon the kinetic installation’s mirrored form

Artist Vincent Leroy’s work relies entirely on natural illumination. Without integrated lighting, the installation responds to variations in weather, sunlight, and time of day, creating different tones and reflections throughout the day and across seasons. This dependence on ambient conditions positions the piece as a dynamic component of the local environment, rather than a fixed visual object. Visible from a distance, Molecular Cloud functions as a new marker along Caen’s waterfront while also operating as a pedestrian-scale intervention. The structure defines a space for gathering and observation, offering an accessible encounter with reflective geometry and spatial distortion.

The project continues Leroy’s investigation into movement, perception, and the interplay between form and environment. Here, the mirrored spheres serve as a device for reframing familiar urban and natural elements through repetition, reflection, and spatial suspension.

Molecular Cloud floats above the Caen peninsula as a suspended cluster of mirrored spheres

the installation reflects the sky and city, creating shifting visuals throughout the day

from within, the cloud frames a suspended window opening onto the sky

viewers walking beneath the cloud see their surroundings multiplied and distorted

the installation acts as both a large-scale marker and an intimate pedestrian space

reflections of the city and sky animate the spheres’ surfaces in constant motion

Molecular Cloud installation rests beneath the Abbaye aux Dames

the piece transforms familiar urban scenes through repetition and spatial suspension

natural light drives the installation’s changing tones and atmospheric effects

mirrored stainless-steel spheres form a cloud-like composition over the waterfront

the structure introduces a reflective landmark to Caen’s evolving urban landscape

project info:

name: Molecular Cloud

designer: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio

commissioner: Ville de Caen / Le Millénaire de Caen

manufacturer: Blam / Nantes

engineering monitoring: Ingé-Infra / Hérouville-Saint-Clair

dimensions: 11,50m x 8m x 8m

materials: Stainless Steel

location: Caen, Normandy, France

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Installed in front of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Molecular Cloud is a kinetic sculpture by French artist Vincent Leroy. The work draws inspiration from cosmic molecular formations, translating them into a floating, cloud-like structure suspended within the urban setting. The piece is part of DDP Design & Art in Seoul, whose 2025 edition explores the theme of movement.

The installation consists of large mirrored spheres tinted in glossy pink. These elements reflect the surrounding environment, sky, buildings, and passersby, creating a constantly shifting interplay of light and form. Slowly, the spheres move in relation to one another, generating fluid and changing compositions. The motion suggests organic breathing, achieved through a calibrated balance between geometric structure and mechanical precision.

all images by Vcollective – Shirley Xie – Titi Lee unless stated otherwise

Moving mirrored pink spheres capture Seoul’s changing light

Positioned against the backdrop of Zaha Hadid’s DDP, Molecular Cloud establishes a dialogue with the building’s flowing, metallic architecture. The contrast between the static structure and the moving sculpture highlights different approaches to material, form, and reflection. Together, they produce an environment where light, shadow, and surface interact in continuous variation.

The project was originally conceived by the artist in Paris and first presented in California at the Coachella Festival in 2023. For its installation in Seoul, it was fabricated in Guangzhou and realized through collaboration with a Hong Kong–based production agency, underlining its international scope. By combining reflective material, kinetic engineering, and spatial placement, Vincent Leroy’s Molecular Cloud explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and environment. Its slow movements invite observation and pause within the pace of the city, encouraging an experience of space defined as much by stillness as by motion.

Vincent Leroy’s kinetic sculpture evokes cosmic molecular formations

glossy pink mirrored spheres form the floating cloud-like structure

the installation reflects sky, city, and passersby in shifting patterns

Molecular Cloud’s poles mirror the building’s traffic people axes

spheres hover lightly against Zaha Hadid’s metallic architecture | image by Seoul_4K

movement suggests a rhythmic breathing within the urban setting

Molecular Cloud explores stillness, movement, and spatial perception

slow motion transforms the spheres into fluid, organic compositions

Molecular Cloud installed in front of Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza

project info:

name: Molecular Cloud

designer: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio

location: Seoul, Korea

host: DDP Design & Art in Seoul | @ddp_seoul

curator: Minsoo Kim – Seoul Design Foundation | @seoul_design_foundation

production: Vcollective – Shirley Xie | @vcollective_ltd

exhibition agency: DesignNuha

photography and video: Vcollective – Shirley Xie – Titi Lee | @vcollective_ltd

photography number 6: Seoul_4K | @Seoul_4K

music video: Emile Kôji | @emile.koji

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In the valleys of Cappadocia, French artist Vincent Leroy has installed Floating Lenses, a kinetic sculpture that interacts with wind, light, and the surrounding landscape.

The work is composed of concentric Fresnel lenses mounted on a carbon and 3D printed frame. Activated by natural air currents, the structure shifts gently, refracting and distorting its environment. As the morning balloons rise across the horizon, their forms appear multiplied, dissolved, and reshaped through the lenses, producing layered visual effects that alter the perception of space.

the lenses float between sky and earth | all images by Vincent Leroy Studio

Wind and light become active elements of the kinetic installation

Rather than functioning as a static object, the installation operates as a responsive surface. Each lens reframes fragments of sky and terrain, generating a continuous sequence of visual transformations. The project emphasizes the relationship between movement, optics, and landscape, where technology integrates with natural conditions instead of dominating them.

With Floating Lenses, artist Vincent Leroy extends his investigation into optical devices and kinetic structures, reinterpreting the Fresnel lens beyond its utilitarian origins. The installation highlights the potential of material and environmental forces, such as wind, light, and perspective, to create a spatial experience in constant flux.

the lenses capture the first rays of the sun

a silent visual choreography

the mobile echoes the morning dance of hot-air balloons in Cappadocia

a natural kaleidoscope in perpetual transformation

the work generates a spatial experience in constant flux

the installation is one with the landscape

the sculpture creates a dialogue between movement and optics

hot air balloons ripple and echo through the lenses, like a drifting mirage

close-up of refracted landscapes through a single lens

project info:

name: Floating Lenses

designer: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio

location: Cappadocia, Turkey

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Installed on the tropical island of Hainan in southern China, Bloom is a large-scale kinetic installation designed by Vincent Leroy. Positioned above a public space in Sanya, the work spans 40 meters in width, 15 meters in height, and 17 meters in depth, forming an expansive suspended composition.

The installation consists of more than 800 woven metal discs, each shaped to evoke the form of plumeria flowers, a plant species closely associated with the island. The use of ultra-thin metallic mesh lends a lightweight appearance to the structure while allowing for kinetic movement. Responsive to air currents, the individual components rotate gently, producing slow, continuous motion.

all images by Vincent Leroy Studio and Xu Zhang

Vincent Leroy imagines a giant flight of kinetic flowers

Material selection and form work together to engage with light and atmosphere. The woven petals filter natural daylight, creating patterns of transparency, shadow, and color modulation. As sunlight passes through the metal mesh, surfaces below are illuminated with diffuse golden tones.

The structural design by artist Vincent Leroy emphasizes balance between scale and delicacy, allowing the installation to remain visually integrated within its setting while offering dynamic engagement with environmental conditions.

over 800 woven metal discs form the structure’s expansive suspended composition

each disc is shaped to reference the plumeria flower, native to Hainan Island

ultra-thin metallic mesh gives the installation a lightweight and airy appearance

the woven petals filter daylight, producing layered patterns of transparency and shadow

sunlight passing through the mesh generates soft, diffuse golden tones

the components respond to air currents, creating slow, continuous rotation

Bloom spans 40 meters wide, 15 meters high, and 17 meters deep above a public space in Sanya, China

kinetic movement transforms the suspended elements into a dynamic, shifting composition

project info:

name: Bloom
designer: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio

curator: Yulan Zhang

development: Tunderly Group

location: Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex, Sanya, Hainan, China

photographer, videographer: Vincent Leroy Studio, Xu Zhang

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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French artist Vincent Leroy presents a new iteration of his Molecular Cloud installation, a kinetic mirror sculpture that appears to float at the junction of land, sea, and heaven. Following its debut at the Coachella Festival in 2023, this more compact metallic version takes shape on a beach in Normandy. Its reflective stainless steel orbs capture the shifting light and movement of the surrounding landscape, transforming the natural environment into a moving, dreamlike, and poetic vision of reality.

all images courtesy of Vincent Leroy

vincent leroy continues his exploration of mirrored mobiles

The artist, best known for testing his mobile creations in the great outdoors, this time choses a beach in Normandy, in the north of France, as the setting for his latest project. As its elements are set in motion, Molecular Cloud becomes an enigmatic metallic cloud slowly undulating in a fluid and continuous movement. Its spectacular deformations generate strange and organic shapes that seem to echo the sky, cloudy and ever-changing.

The stainless steel orbs intricately capture the slightest variations, darkening or, on the contrary, sparkling depending on the variations in brightness. ‘The closer we get, the more the boundaries between the installation and the environment blur,’ says Vincent Leroy. Its mirrored surfaces diffract the horizon and repeat it endlessly, as the landscape is reflected in a phantasmagorical and moving vision which exacerbates the dramatic atmosphere of the site. This dialogue between reality and imagination is essential to the artist who declares: ‘I like my works to be part of the real world, while giving another perception, by bringing a poetic or dreamlike dimension.’

Vincent Leroy presents a new iteration of his Molecular Cloud installation

the work is envisioned as a cloud between heaven and earth

its mirrored forms offer infinite reflections

the cloud echoes the dramatic sky of Normandy

the kinetic mirror sculpture appears to float at the junction of land, sea, and heaven

‘I like my works to be part of the real world, while giving another perception,’ says Vincent Leroy

project info:

name: Molecular Cloud
artist: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio

location: Normandy, France

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

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French artist Vincent Leroy unveils a multicolored variation of his Point Cloud installation on the beaches of Miyako Island in Okinawa, Japan, following a blue monochrome version created in Santorini. Crafted from ultra-light composite materials with 3D printed articulations, the three kinetic mobiles respond to the faintest breeze, creating an ever-changing aerial performance. This interaction turns the Japanese beach into a chromatic landscape, where colors flow together and strange shapes form in the air. ‘Each environment arouses a different imagination and generates specific constraints. At Miyako, we designed a telescopic foot that allowed us to fix ourselves directly in the sand and adapt the heights of the mobiles according to the sea level while ensuring their stability,’ Vincent Leroy shares. ‘In the end, each environment acts as a biotope for the work and it is each time a magical and wonderful moment to discover how the work will interact with a site.’ 

all images courtesy of Vincent Leroy

the installation reflects the tonalities of its japanese location

Leroy’s work highlights his commitment to exploring new environments, embedding his art within the essence of the places he discovers, and inviting viewers to experience a tranquil connection between nature and design. Point Cloud engages in a silent, poetic dialogue with its surroundings. The movements of the mobile shift with the wind, their chromatic discs reflecting the light and capturing the subtle tonalities of Miyako’s skies. Suspended above the horizon, their vibrant hues contrast against the sky, blending and overlapping the landscape like translucent, colored filters. For the artist, each new installation is an opportunity for a poetic dialogue between the natural, the artificial, and the human. ‘In the end, each environment acts as a biotope for the work and it is always a magical and wonderful moment to discover how the work will interact with a scenery,’ he states.

Vincent Leroy unveils a multicolored variation of his Point Cloud installation

crafted from ultra-light composite materials with 3D printed articulations

the three kinetic mobiles respond to the faintest breeze

this interaction turns the Japanese beach into a chromatic landscape

Point Cloud engages in a silent, poetic dialogue with its surroundings

colors flow together and strange shapes form in the air

the movements of the mobile shift with the wind

Leroy’s work highlights his commitment to exploring new environments

Vincent Leroy embeds his art within the essence of the places he discovers

project info:

name: Point Cloud / Miyakojima
designer: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio
location: Miyako Island, Okinawa, Japan

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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French artist Vincent Leroy transforms the Nakameguro Canal in Tokyo into a mesmerizing installation with his latest work, Floating Orbs. Made from carbon rods, 3D printed components, and mirrored spheres, these monumental mobiles swirl above the water, responding delicately to the movement of the air. Their balanced structure creates a celestial presence, enhancing the urban environment with an otherworldly vision. The spheres catch and distort their surroundings, creating shifting reflections that evolve throughout the day and night. Appearing to defy gravity as they sway above the canal, the fluid orbs form a constellation in perpetual motion.

all images courtesy of Vincent Leroy

Floating Orbs captures the fading sunlight as evening falls

Paris-based Vincent Leroy’s work often merges technical precision with poetic expression, and Floating Orbs is no exception. From the canal walkways, viewers can observe the installation from various angles to get a new perspective on the interaction between the orbs and their reflections. The mirrored surfaces transform the urban landscape into moving anamorphoses, adding a surreal quality to the setting.

As evening falls, the spheres capture the fading sunlight and the glow of Tokyo, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The installation becomes even more captivating at night, when the reflections blend with the city lights, offering a moment of stillness amid the city’s vibrant energy.

Vincent Leroy transforms the Nakameguro Canal in Tokyo with Floating Orbs

these monumental mobiles are made from carbon rods, 3D printed components, and mirrored spheres

responding delicately to the movement of the air

their balanced structure creates a celestial presence

the spheres catch and distort their surroundings

as evening falls, the spheres capture the fading sunlight

enhancing the urban environment with an otherworldly vision

project info:

name: Floating Orbs
designer: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio
location: Nakameguro Canal, Tokyo, Japan

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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After Santorini, Vincent Leroy draws inspiration from the cliffs of Milos Island, Greece for his latest creation, a white lacquered version of his Molecular Cloud installation. Originally designed for the Coachella Festival in 2023 (find designboom’s previous coverage here), this adaptation harmonizes with the lunar landscape of Sarakiniko Beach.  Composed of spheres in various sizes, the mobiles blend with their surroundings. The white orbs reflect the sky, taking on shades of blue, purple, and orange, and from different angles and heights, either merging with the rocks or appearing to float weightlessly like a mysterious cloud.

all images courtesy of Vincent Leroy

the installation echoes the lunar rock formations of milos

Movement is a central theme in Vincent Leroy’s work. ‘I use deliberately slowed down, fluid and continuous movements in order to create a hypnotic effect and to plunge the spectators into another temporality, detached from reality and more contemplative,’ notes the French artist. Molecular Cloud generates bizarre and organic shapes through its slow movement, echoing the rock formations sculpted by wind and sea. These shapes intrigue and enchant, navigating the boundary between the natural and the artificial, reality and dreams. The installation stands as a poetic and thought-provoking piece, reflecting Leroy’s signature style that blends art and nature, inviting viewers to engage in a meditative experience that transforms their perception of the surrounding landscape.

after Santorini, Vincent Leroy draws inspiration from the cliffs of Milos Island

this adaptation harmonizes with the lunar landscape of Sarakiniko

composed of spheres in various sizes, the mobiles blend with their surroundings

Molecular Cloud appears to float weightlessly

the white orbs reflect the sky, taking on shades of blue, purple, and orange

the installation merges with the rocks

movement is a central theme in Leroy’s work

Molecular Cloud generates bizarre and organic shapes through its slow deformations

these shapes intrigue and enchant, navigating the boundary between the natural and the artificial

project info:

name: Molecular Cloud
designer: Vincent Leroy | @vincent_leroy_studio
location: Milos, Greece

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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French artist Vincent Leroy presents his latest creation, Point Cloud, a mobile crafted from composite materials and 3D printed components. After exploring Iceland’s glaciers and Canada’s lakes, Leroy brings his work to the Greek island of Santorini with Point Cloud. The installation features a fractal structure that comes to life with gentle movement, its intense blue discs reflecting the tones of the sky and the Aegean Sea. The installation is designed to be lightweight and responsive to the slightest breeze, allowing the blue point cloud to rise and move gracefully against the Santorini sky.

all images and video courtesy of © Vincent Leroy Studio

kinetic installation moves gracefully with the breeze

Leroy‘s approach blends technology with poetic expression, creating an aerial and adaptable installation. Transparent and colored dots overlap to merge the sky and sea in various shades of blue. As the wind flows through the mobile, a silent dialogue emerges between the artwork, natural elements, and the surrounding landscape.

To achieve a fluid and light movement, the artist employs aeronautical technology, while 3D printing allows for innovative design that surpasses the mechanical limitations of traditional materials like aluminum and steel. This integration of technology and natural elements is the central concept behind Point Cloud.

Vincent Leroy’s latest creation, Point Cloud, floats above Santorini

the mobile features intense blue discs, echoing the tones of the Aegean Sea

Point Cloud’s fractal structure comes alive with gentle movements

3D printed composite materials craft the kinetic installation

Point Cloud responds to the slightest breeze, creating an aerial display

Leroy’s work combines technology with poetic expression

transparent and colored dots blend the sky and sea in shades of blue

the mobile’s design aims for fluid and light movement

aeronautical technology helps create an adaptable and graceful installation

Point Cloud offers a visual conversation between art and landscape

project info:

name: Point Cloud

designer: Vincent Leroy Studio | @vincent_leroy_studio

location: Santorini, Greece

photography and video: Vincent Leroy Studio

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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